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United States Awards Ugandan Women of Courage

April 7, 2011

Today in commemoration of International Women’s Month, the United States Government, in partnership with Isis-Women’s International Cross-Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE) and Century Entrepreneurship Development Agency International (CEDA), recognized seven outstanding women who changed their communities for the better.  The Ugandan Women of Courage award recognizes efforts of grassroots and professional women who contribute to the development of their communities despite seemingly insurmountable odds.  U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Jerry P. Lanier presented awards in the categories of education, health, human rights, economic empowerment, peace and security, media, and environment/climate change.

Award winners included:

  1. Beatrice Ayuru Byaruhanga,  Proprietor/Director, Lira Integrated
  2. Jesca Anyango Were, Teacher, Namayingo District
  3. Prudence Komujinya,  Board Member, Acid Survivors Foundation
  4. Elizabeth Nkonji, Media Development Consultant
  5. Lydia Kantono, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Uganda Police Force
  6. Betty Tibaleka, Director and Host, The Untold Story
  7. Honorable Beatrice Atim Anywar, Woman Member of Parliament, Kitgum District

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Ambassador Lanier noted, “The seven women we are honoring here tonight are leaders…They have risked their lives, faced arrest, given a voice to those who had none, brought hope to other female survivors of violence, and improved the incomes and futures of many women and families.  What is most impressive is that the initial success of these women did not come from big projects but from their own resilience and personal drive.”  

The Women of Courage program highlights the U.S. Government’s dedication to the empowerment of women in Uganda.  It is part of a broader effort by the U.S. Mission to build stronger ties with women’s organizations and the women of Uganda.  As Secretary Clinton has so frequently noted, women’s rights are not just a matter of justice, but are also integral to global security, peace, progress, and prosperity. 

For additional information, please contact:

Nanyonga Dorothy, Information Assistant, U.S. Mission Uganda
Tel: +256-414-250-314x6104 Cell: +077222-14-12, 0784846334
Email:  NanyongaDx@state.gov